There was no switch flipped in the last week, things have been sliding all season, but with Fox the only network ahead vs. last season with its standard annual events, slipping towards break even, and all the rest of the broadcasters down vs. last season (if you remove the Super Bowl week from CBS averages), the weight of the continuing annual decline in overall broadcast TV audiences struck me as I prepared the latest chart.

Ratings Increase / Decrease: 2009-10 Season vs. 2008-9 Season

Fox continues up in viewership, adults 18-49 and 18-34 vs. last season, but its spring has not done as relatively well as its fall, and its ratings gains vs. last year are nearing break even (and have reached break even for adults 25-54).

CBS is up in viewership, adults 18-49 and 18-34 vs. last season, due to boost they received during Super Bowl week. Without it, they'd be down across the board in the adult demo ratings.

NBC, even with the Winter Olympics boost, is down 3% vs. last year in adults 18-49 and 8% for the year in adults 18-34.

ABC is down vs. last season across the board between 5-8%.

Since the CW only programs Monday-Friday this season vs. Sunday-Friday last season, doing season to season comparisons is apples to oranges enough to not bother having to explain each week.

The xCBS and xNBC values in the Season To Season change chart show the season to date ratings changes minus a few non-annual events for CBS and NBC.

The xCBS number is the CBS season to season ratings change minus the entire Super Bowl 2010 week.

The xNBC number is the NBC season to season ratings change minus all 3 weeks that included any Winter Olympics this year, and the week that included the Super Bowl 2009 last year.

Unfortunately, with the data I get, I can do no better than exclude entire weeks. Those numbers should not be considered "official", and there are always errors possible. They're meant to help answer the question "How would CBS (or NBC) be doing without those non-annual events". I lack the data to do those adjusted comparisons for average viewership.

Season To Date Ratings

Fox is certain to win both the adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 ratings races this season. They might challenge CBS for the adults 25-54 race by the end of the season, but that is looking less likely by the week, as Fox failed to gain ground again this week.

CBS is certain to win the average viewership race, and could hang onto the adults 25-54 lead.

NBC's hold on third place across the board is increasingly likely to be threatened by ABC before the end of the season, but it may be close.

The xCBS and xNBC values in the Season To Date chart show the season to date ratings minus a few non-annual events for CBS and NBC.

The xCBS number is the CBS season to date ratings average minus the entire Super Bowl 2010 week.

The xNBC number is the NBC season to date ratings average minus the 3 weeks with any Winter Olympicstelecasts.

Unfortunately, with the data I get, I can do no better than exclude entire weeks. Those numbers should not be considered "official", and there are always errors possible. They're meant to help answer the question "How would CBS (or NBC) be doing without those non-annual events".

Each rating point is a percentage of the US TV population in that demographic group and equals: 2.90 million viewers, 1.32 million adults 18-49, 0.68 million adults 18-34 and 1.24 million adults 25-54.

Note that the chart includes RATINGS not VIEWERSHIP as was typical in our weekly network ratings posts prior to July, 2009.